Memories of the Forgotten
by CrapPishh
Summary: Why do they seem so familiar? Why can't I remember? Why me? OMGOMGOMG, 50 REVIEWS! :D
1. Memory

This story will be continued! :D yayyys!

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the window, basking the room in the warmth of the setting sun. Outside, the laughter of children echoed from the meadows and the aroma of the flowers wafted in.

The smell of potato stew simmering on the stove, tonight's dinner. As I approach the kitchen, drawn by the thought of food, I feel arms wrapping around my waist, drawing me close to something warm; a soothing voice whispers in my ear," I love you."

As I am about to reply, everything disappears into nothingness. Every turn I make leads me to another forked road. There is no way out of this maze, no matter how long I walk. Right, right, left, right? How many turns have I made?

Out of nowhere, two shapes appear in front of me, one wielding a katana and the other holding nothing, seemingly trying to run away, with no avail. Suddenly, the katana is driven with a burst of speed into the latter, blood raining down as the victim turns his head towards me and says a hoarse whisper," Ari, run…"

My legs are frozen in place. A murder, committed right in front of my own eyes, how can I run? As I look at the shadow that has called out to me, I can't help but feel a sense of familiarity. Who is it?

"Well, well, what do we have here?" said a voice dripping with venom.

The cold blooded killer had turned his attention to me. He slowly walked towards me, staring right into my eyes. His eyes, they pierced; a cold unfeeling blue, unnatural. Lifting up his blood-stained katana, he said," Prepare to join your dearest in hell."

The blade lowered.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I woke up with a start; sweat dripping profusely from my forehead.

"Ari, what's wrong, what's wrong?" A voice came from outside my room.

"Uhh, it's nothing." I replied, recognizing the voice as Luke, my patrol partner.

"Another nightmare?"

"Mmm…"

"Can I come in?"

"Okay…"

I opened the door to let Luke in and told him about the nightmare. They seemed to be increasing in frequency, and each time, a little bit more of the scene unfolded.

"I'm scared Luke," I admitted, as I sat down on my bed, tears welling in my eyes. "Tonight, the blade almost reached me. I'm too scared to find out what will happen if the next scene unfolds. Why do I get these nightmares? Why me? "

"It could be part of your past." He answered, reassuringly. "It's only a nightmare, isn't it? A nightmare can't kill you, right? Come on, gimme a smile. Everything will be fine. We have a big day tomorrow. Try and get some sleep."

"Umm, Luke, can you stay till I fall asleep?"

'If it makes you feel better, I guess I could stay a few minutes."

"Thank you. You're the best."

"Hey, what are best friends for?" He answered with a grin. "Come on, I'll sing you your favourite song."

As I lay there with my eyes closed, Luke started to sing with that wonderful voice of his. If not for this cruel war, he most probably would have been some famous singer of some sort, and I would never have met him. My heart tore slightly at that thought. Why do I feel this way?

As Luke sang, my eyelids felt heavy and I drifted off into dream land, frightened of the thought of falling asleep and at the same time, relieved not to be alone anymore.

Hearted laughter of a familiar voice. The bright sunshine. The smell of spring flowers. An old house in the middle of a meadow, with vines creeping all over the walls. All those seemed so familiar; like a part of me. But why don't I remember anything?

Was this memory simply an illusion? A fragment of my own imagination? It's impossible to believe that something as peaceful as that ever existed; compared to this bloodstained, barren land that we now call home. Who did that voice belong to? Who was the one with the cold blue eyes? Why is my past a complete mystery? Why can't I remember?

* * *

Note: Thanks to Randomness from Boredom, Absol Master and Kodochi-Gal for telling me to continue this! Have a cookie each! :D Special thanks to Absol Master for noticing a mistake. Here, have another cookie. :D


	2. Decision

Yayyy, second chapter! :D Cookies to Randomness from Boredom and Absol Master for telling me to continue this!

* * *

Eye-piercing sunlight streamed in through the small square opening called a window cut in one concrete walls of my room. What time was it? With one hand shielding my eyes from the light, I reached for my PDA that I left on the bedside table, and glanced at the time before closing my eyes again. 7.40am… Wait, 7.40?! I woke up with a start. I'm late!

"Mmm…" came a voice from the floor.

I looked down, and I saw Luke! He actually fell asleep in my room! He wore a content smile on his face, and I found myself smiling back at him.

"Focus! Don't think of such things!" I scolded, while I giving myself two mental slaps.

Grabbing my pillow, I whacked Luke as hard as I could.

"Luke! Get up! We're late!" I said, frantically.

"What time is it…"

"7.40! 7.40! Get up!"

"What?!" He practically shouted as he sat up. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

Without giving me time to respond, he bolted out of my room and I heard water rushing only a few moments later.

"Hmm, 5 seconds, getting slower by the day," I thought to myself, as I washed up. Today was the big day, and we couldn't afford for any distractions.

In five minutes, I was done changing into my clothes and almost as rehearsed, Luke and I opened the door at the same time.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me in the direction of the meeting room. I felt a flush go to my cheeks.

"C'mon, we're freaking late. Boss is gonna explode again."

"Yeah," I said, pulling my hand away and beginning to run. "I bet I can get there faster than you!"

"In your dreams!"

* * *

"Is everyone present?"

"Yup!" Luke yelled as we entered the room at the same time.

"You two are late again…" Sen sighed.

"Uhh, yeah, we kind of overslept," Luke tried to explain.

"Never mind. Take your places. This discussion is about to begin."

As we sat down at our respective places at the meeting table, Sen started the meeting by showing us a map of Victoria Island.

"As you can see, our boundaries are marked by these green lines on the map, stretching from Henesys to Kerning," he said, pointing to the green lines on the screen.

Luke yawned.

"The Salvation's boundaries used to stretch from Perion to Ellinia," Sen continued, in a louder tone. Gesturing to the red lines on the map, he continued. Their boundaries have been limited by our strong defensive forces, but now, there is a new problem." New yellow lines appeared, stretching towards Sleepywood. "Apparently, the Salvation has a new goal in mind. They aren't intent on invading our territory anymore, but they seem to be headed towards the centre of Victoria, the Sleepywood dungeon."

Luke and few other restless soldiers sat up, looking interested.

"The dungeon holds many untold secrets, of which many are capable of unleashing forces that can destroy the whole world. The purpose of this big day today, is to announce our radical plans to counter the Salvation's movement. I need volunteers to form a team, and their sole purpose will be to find out what exactly is The Salvation planning to do. Their job involves sneaking into enemy territory and retrieving information. This is a very risky job, and you may never return. But that's a chance we should be willing to take, if we want to protect the innocent lives that depend on us for protection!"

Shouts of agreement echoed through the room like a ripple on water. Frankly, I wasn't that interested on going on some suicide mission for no actual reason.

"Anyone interested can sign up after tomorrow's residents' meeting. Meet at Headquarters' meeting room 3. We have also managed to obtain information about the leaders of The Salvation," Sen continued, as he flashed several slides displaying pictures of several members.

I slumped down in my chair. Great, I thought, nothing worth noting this time round. I was really hoping that my platoon would get assigned field duties, but all there was for us to do was patrol the city.

I was staring blankly at the slides when one caught my eye.

On one slide was a man with hazel eyes and bright orange hair that looked strangely familiar. I wasn't paying attention to Sen's speech at all, but thinking hard. Where have I seen him before? Why is he so familiar?

Suddenly the slide changed, and my blood froze.

Cold, unfeeling blue eyes started back at me; eyes that bore right into mine, sending a chill down my spine.

I remembered the nightmare. The man with the orange hair and hazel eyes. The one who told me to run. The one from the dream-turned-nightmare.

* * *

"Ari, Ari!" Luke's words jolted me out of my trance as I realized that Sen was no where in sight.

"Oh, it's over already?" I asked.

"Yeah, you feel asleep? I can't believe Sen didn't even notice!"

"Um, not really…"

"What do you mean?"

"I recognized two of the faces…from my nightmare…"

"Really?" Luke's face expressed genuine concern. "Come on, we'll go somewhere else and talk."

We walked out of the Restoration's main headquarters and into the town, starting our daily patrol duty.

"Care to tell me what's bothering you?" Luke asked, apparently noticing the dazed look on my face.

"Well," I began, sitting down on an unstable bench in Henesys Park, settling my Kage on my lap and looking at the wide barren field in front of me. "Two of The Salvation's leaders are the guys from my nightmare."

"And..."Luke started, then paused and added. "Wait, you're thinking of volunteering for that special team in order to discover your past? You're going to look for the men in your nightmare? Are you crazy?"

"You can really read me like a book, Luke," I smiled.

"You still can smile? Do you even know what you're thinking of doing?"

"Yes, I know perfectly well. Luke, listen to me. I have no memories of my past before Sen found me in the ruins of the only village in Henesys that was attacked by The Salvation 2 years ago. I don't even know my real name. Sen just gave me the name Ari. Since the age of 14, I've been exposed to death and misery, and I've been fighting for The Restoration since then. I was told that The Salvation killed my family and destroyed the entire village, but I don't know why. Of all the villages in the area, why mine? But why can't I remember anything about my village, my family, my name, my past? Who does that voice in my nightmare belong to?" I was hysterical. Why didn't Luke understand?

Luke was silent.

"I lost my family in the Perion Massacre 5 years ago." He started. "I saw my parents and siblings murdered right in front of my eyes. I recognized someone from the pictures too. The one with the bright green eyes. I can still remember. He turned towards me, laughing maniacally when he saw me pick up my sword and try to defend myself. I was only 10, incapable of protecting my siblings. I thought, this is it, I'm going to join everyone up there. I thought, that I would never be able to fulfill my dream, my dream of making a difference in this world. I was prepared to leave this world, when The Restoration came to my rescue."

"That's why you fight, isn't it?" I said, softly, fingering the rings of my Kage. "You fight for revenge; to fulfill your dream in the only way possible now."

"Yeah," Luke answered through gritted teeth. "Look at this place!" He pointed to the barren surroundings. "Henesys used to be colourful, so vibrant! Now it's just a field of gray. Everything is either gray or red, destruction and rubble, or blood! This peaceful land is now bloodstained, and forever will be! How can we possibly erase the memories of those that have experienced the cruelest of fates by being born into this disastrous era?"

"At least they can remember," I commented, fingers tracing the horns of my battered old weapon.

"Trust me, sometimes it is better not to," Luke retorted, his back turned to me.

"Luke, I really want to know more. I want answers. I want to know about my past, no matter how tainted it might have been. I just want to be able to remember."

"Well, if you're so intent on it," he responded, turning to face me. "We'll both volunteer. Together. What do you say?"

"You'll do that for me?" I asked, a little shocked. "I thought you said I was crazy?"

"A friend in need is a friend indeed, my mom used to say," Luke replied, with a small smile. "I can't abandon my best friend, can I?"

"Thanks Luke, you're the best. We better finish patrol duty, or Platoon Leader Ina is gonna skin us alive."

"Race you to the marketplace!" he yelled, running off with his Fairfrozen swinging on his back. I smiled and teleported after him.

* * *

Note: Absol, 'maniacally' and 'manically' both work actually, but thanks anyways. :D


	3. Salvation

Wanted to make it longer, but couldn't really remember exactly what I wanted to write. Enjoy anyways. Reviewwwwwwwwww pleaaaaase! :D And do the poll on my profile page. (:

* * *

From the outside, the ancient library suspended purely by magic at the topmost area of Ellinia looked as it did many years ago, when Grendel the Really Old was head of the mages and The Salvation never existed. The old library door was the pride of Ellinia, with its carvings of insignias and runes, responsible for the magical barrier that protected the town.

When you looked down now, however, all you could see were the ruins of houses; makeshift shelters built in their place. In the past, children played outside in the lush greenery, and the sound of laughter and the hum of magic could be heard everywhere. Magic was evident everywhere, from the magical portals located throughout the town to the beautiful sun that lay on the horizon, never descending into the darkness.

Then came The Salvation and the sun disappeared, never to reappear again to brighten Ellinia, nor the hearts of any of the citizens. Most had long given up hope of anyone being able to rescue them from the group who did the opposite of what their name was supposed to. They weren't bringing salvation to the people; they were bringing a need for it.

Past the creaky doors of the magical library, lay a long black carpet that stretched to oblivion, leading to a dark and unknown future for those that walked down to its end. Four statues lined the sides of the carpet; four, almost life-like, stone statues. All were poised, weapons in hands, in midst of battle; a battle they never had a chance to finish. The first stone statue clutched a bow in one hand, and an arrow in the other. The next, a dagger in hand, about to strike. A spear raised up high, in the process of casting a skill its owner never managed to complete. The last held a wand in both hands, with his spell casted; a peaceful smile etched in the statue's face.

Bow. Dagger. Spear. Wand. The Four Wisemen of Victoria, trapped in stone. But by whom?

* * *

Hands pushed open the door roughly; its unstable frame shook, unable to withstand much more of this careless abuse. Heavy footsteps treaded on the carpet at an unbelievably fast pace. Tufts of orange hair were visible from the base the wearer's helmet, hazel eyes standing out from the eyeholes of a coal black helmet. Strapped to his back was a bloodstained Pinaka.

"Shadow, we have a problem," the warrior announced, as he burst into the meeting room at the end of the carpeted walkway. When he was met with silence, he stood in place and stared forward at the solitary chair in front of the comforting fire, no doubt waiting for it's user to comment.

"Relax, Fire," came a voice from a corner of the dimly lit room. The warrior, Fire, recognized the voice as Aqua, an Ice-Lightning mage too smart for her own good and a fellow member of the Salvation's Circle.

"And what problem might we have?" a sarcastic voice added. A dark mass was taking shape; bright green eyes materializing directly before him. The one and only Yami, Fire thought.

"The Restoration. They've us tracked down. They have data on the entire Circle as well as our plans to proceed into Sleepywood," Fire reported.

"So what? We'll just draft up new plans," retorted another female voice from behind him. "It ain't that hard. Don't get so worked up over nothing." The owner of the voice, Ivy, teleported in front of Fire and unclenched her fist. Dark flames danced on her palm, dangerously close to his face.

Fire cringed.

"Hmph," Ivy snorted, extinguishing the small fire before whispering into his ear as she teleported away, taking care to emphasize her last sentence. "You may own the title of Fire, but I control the element. Don't tarnish it or else."

"Cut him some slack, Ivy," A cold voice added. The chatter in the room ceased. Shadow was speaking.

"Stick to our original plans. We will proceed to Sleepywood. But we won't stop there. Enter the dungeon through Perion, exit through both Kerning and Henesys. We'll divert their forces. They can't possibly hold us off for long."

"But they'll recognize us if any of the Circle joins in the fight too," Fire bravely pointed out.

"I haven't finished talking, Fire. Send in all the troops first. Tire The Restoration's forces out. When they think they're winning, make your grand appearance. I want all of you to take part in this. Show those fools the true power of The Salvation!"

Shadow stood up and turned towards the gathered members of the Circle. Their eyes stared straight into his, returning his piercing glare. His eyes; cold, emotionless, blue.

* * *

Note: Thanks Sher for spotting the mistake (: And yeah, Mac Tang giving me extra credit(maybe because I argued that I'm hell better at writing narratives than whatever we already wrote)


	4. Repentance

Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I got it done quite a few days ago, but didn't manage to upload it due to certain issues such as my Lit. teacher practically FAILING me.

I got a C. Great right? It's just because what I write is too similar to a novel rather than a reflection. Crap. Shouldn't I be actually getting higher marks for that?

Thank God I managed to talk him into trying to see if he can give me extra credit. Lit. is like, supposed to be my best subject?

Give me your opinions people, I don't want to feel like an idiot for nothing.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Shadow?" Fire asked curiously, wondering why he had been summoned to the meeting room for the second time that day. He was now alone with Shadow in the almost pitch-black room, save for the comforting light that radiated from the fireplace at the other end of the room.

"Yes, Fire. I have a rather, special assignment for you. You will not join in the Circle's fight with The Restoration's forces. This is what you will do. Now listen carefully…."

* * *

"Luke, what time does the Residents' meeting end? I asked for the umpteen time that afternoon while on usual patrol duty.

"Three," sighed Luke patiently, looking at his wristwatch. "Relax, we still have about an hour."

"Oh," I replied, about to make a left turn at Henesys Park.

"No way, we're not going past Headquarters again. We've walked past the building at least five times today. Walking in circles won't bring us any closer to finding out about anything," he said, firmly, steering me in the opposite direction. "Come on, I'll buy you an ice cream."

About half an hour later, Luke and I were headed towards Headquarters, running at full speed.

"Luke, it's all your fault! We're going to be late!"

"How would I have known that my watched stopped? People aren't perfect you know."

"We're lucky that I happened to be observant enough when we passed by the Clock Tower! If we miss the sign up, I'll kill you Luke!"

We fumbled with our tags at the Members' Entrance scanner and dashed past the sliding doors the moment they opened.

"Made it!" Luke yelled, as we entered the meeting room, trying to catch our breaths.

"For once, you two aren't late," boomed Sen's voice from behind. "I take it that you two are here to volunteer as well?"

I nodded my head, still panting slightly. Sen studied me for awhile, with a look of uncertainty on his face, before gesturing for me to take a seat.

As I sat down next to Luke, I glanced around the room. Wow, so many unfamiliar faces, I thought to myself, trying to recognize as many people as I could. As I scanned the room, something bright catching my eye. Something bright; something orange. I fixed my gaze for a second look. There, in a far corner of the room, a guy was sitting by himself. His hair was bright orange and when he turned his head, I caught a glimpse of hazel. I didn't recognize him, but he seemed, so familiar…somehow, I felt I knew him….

"Ari, Ari!" Luke whispered, breaking my train of thought and signaling at Sen.

I focused my attention as he began the briefing.

"There are seven of you gathered here today. Seven of you brave enough to step forward and volunteer for this special unit. All of you are from different platoons and have different reasons for being here today, but from now on, you will be working together as equals, regardless of your current ranks. Your main goal here should be to help the Restoration take the Salvation down, and not for your own personal goals."

I squirmed in my seat. It was like he was some sort of a mind reader.

Sen continued," You will be divided into individual segments later, but first…"

He pressed a button on the table, and the wall behind him slid open, with stairs leading the way down into the unknown.

Wow, I thought. I never knew these even existed in the Headquarters.

Sen headed down stairs and signaled for us to follow him. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, bright lights flooded the area. I shielded my eyes and slowly adjusted to the light. It was a sight to behold; weapons of all sorts lined the aisles, which were arranged according to job classes.

"As a reward for being here, each of you is to choose a new weapon."

"Music to my ears," Luke whispered to me, hurriedly, before rushing off towards the 'Spears and Pole arms' section.

It's just like Luke to get excited over something like this. I smiled and headed for my own section.

I walked down the aisles, holding my Kage tightly. I passed by the legendary Elemental Wands, a brand new Kage, but none attracted my attention more than that. My dream weapon- a Blue Marine. I reached out and grabbed its handle. The polished blue gem sparkled in the light and seemed to radiate a light aura the moment it made contact with my hand. The handle was pure white and fingerprint-free; smooth to the touch and surprisingly light. I replaced the now empty staff holder with my old Kage, my trusted companion for over a year, whispering a soft 'thank you'. With my new weapon held firmly in my hand, I headed to the opposite side of the room to look for Luke.

I found him at the Spears aisle, a brand new Pinaka in his hands. Its red jewel glowed a beautiful shade of red as he twirled it around with the excitement of a five year old playing with a new toy.

"Whoa, nice weapon, Luke," I commented, looking at the shiny blade.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what this baby can do!" he said, twirling his spear around and testing it out.

As he practiced some of his moves, someone walked past him and Luke almost whacked his head. In a split second, the guy grabbed another Pinaka and blocked Luke's blow with ease.

The first thing I saw was orange hair.

"Cool, how'd you do that?" Luke gasped in awe.

"Hmm, practice," he replied, looking at us. His eyes were hazel, and they seemed to bore right into mine. Before I could say anything, Luke cut in and introduced us.

"My name is Luke, and she's my patrol partner, Ari. We're from the Terrasia Platoon."

"My name's Kelvin. I'm from the Alphare Platoon, rank Captain."

"Whoa, a captain…" Luke's eyes widened.

Just like Luke to suck up like that, I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Why did you volunteer anyway, Kelvin?" I asked, curiously looking at him.

"It's a long story. I lived in Perion with my parents, who were both Priests. On that day that the Salvation arrived in Ellinia from Ossyria, they were called to render aid to the villages there and never returned. My purpose is to seek revenge on those that killed my parents."

"I'm sure your parents would be proud that you're willing to go so far for them," I reassured him.

"Actually, they're my adoptive parents. I was abandoned as a kid. The only thing I remember about my real parents is that they brought to the playground when I was little, and never came back for me…"

"I was adopted too. My parents never knew who left me at their doorstep, but took me in and raised me, all the same," Luke added, softly.

Kelvin smiled for the first time.

"I take it that everyone has finished choosing their weapons? If you would kindly follow me back upstairs, we can finish this briefing," Sen's voice echoed from the stairway.

We trooped back upstairs to the meeting room and took our seats once again.

Sen cleared his throat and wrapped up the briefing. "Report back here at 3pm tomorrow afternoon. I'll divide you people into your segments then. Be reminded that there is to be no discrimination amongst any of you, be it because of gender, level, or job. Get along with everyone here; you might end up in the same segment as them. From today onwards, you will no longer be from different Platoons, but working together as one, codename, Repentance!"

* * *

"This is going to be fun, eh, Ivy?" Aqua laughed, looking down at the thousands gathered beneath the ancient library.

"Hehe, they're never going to know what hit them," giggled the fire mage in response.

"Well, then, can we get this party started?" A new voice came from behind them.

"Sure thing, Dysis. We were waiting for you," Ivy answered, turning to face the priest.

"Yup," Aqua added, the wind whipping her two ribbboned pigtails. She twirled her Dark Ritual in the air and blue magic swirled around her. Ivy and Dysis followed suit, twirling their wands and conjuring up red and green magic respectively.

"Forward!" they yelled at the same time, wands pointed in the direction of Sleepywood. The Salvation had begun their invasion procession.

"Everything is going according to plan. The Guardians are with her, and it's only a matter of time before she awakens. In due time, the Angel's powers will be mine!" evil laughter sounded throughout the unusually dark room; the fire was dying. A dark shape stood up from the chair and unsheathed his sword; a Doombringer. This was no ordinary one, an evil purple glow radiated from its centre, and etched in red on its hilt: Ariel Venise Celestia. Before the fire went out, light flashed onto the Doombringer, and the blade reflected two blue eyes back at its owner.


	5. Voice

I decided that I've slacked off for too long from doing up this chapter, so yeah, here it is.

Sorry if it isn't up to your standards, but I'm kinda shacked from my camp and studying for the VJC AAT which thankfully, is already over. Now only if the NJC AAT could come faster… (Yes, I am applying for the 4 year JC IP; I am NOT applying for the 2 year course. I would if I were some sort of prodigy and skipped ahead two years. The competition for entrance to the 4 year programme is hell more intense as compared the 2 year course, so imagine the stress my mom is giving me just so I can get in and she can gloat to her friends about it.)

I made a new friend last week! Lol. :X You know who you are. :D

Enjoy peeps. Remember to review. (:

Oh yeah, thanks to all who let me use your names in this story. (And thanks too to those who did volunteer your names but I didn't use them. Maybe next time, yeah? :D)

* * *

"Where am I?"

I found myself in a lush, green field, lying under a tree. Bright flowers were blooming everywhere around me and there was no one in sight.

"You are in a safe haven, created out of my own magic."

A gentle woman's voice answered, seemingly out of no where.

"Who are you?"

"Patience is a virtue. You will know everything in due time."

"What am I doing here?"

"I brought you here, to protect you from the nightmares that you have been experiencing."

"Why? Why do I have these nightmares anyway?"

"Patience, my dear. Everything will be answered when the time comes. But now, it's time for you to wake up."

"Wake up?"

"Yes, my child. Wake up. Wake up…"

* * *

"Ari, Wake up!"

I sat up with a jolt.

Luke was standing next to my bed, all changed and ready to go.

"We're late? I overslept? Oh no…"

"No, Ari. We have to finish one last patrol duty today."

"Can't Platoon Leader Ina give us a break? I mean, we are going to be in that special unit from now on."

"She said since we're no longer going to be part of the Platoon, all the more we should do patrol for the last time," Luke sighed, tossing me a towel. "Go wash up, or we really will be late at the rate you're going."

"Hmph," I snorted, getting up from the bed and pushing Luke to the door.

The rest of the morning was pretty boring, with the occasional 'cat up a tree' issue with the citizens of Henesys.

"Hard to believe this will be the last time we're even going to patrol the city, huh?" Luke muttered, as it neared the meeting time.

"Starting to regret signing up with me?" I joked.

"What if I say yes?"

"Luke!"

"Kidding! Wonder if anyone's already here already?" he asked, when we reached the Headquarters.

* * *

As it turned out, we were the last two to arrive, as usual.

"I thought you two overslept again. You both seem to have a habit of doing so," came a new voice from behind. "My name's Ken, by the way. I'm a Captain from the Wisteria Platoon. Nice to meet you."

I turned, and saw a guy with clear, sapphire-blue eyes and light brown, shoulder-length hair. He held a Magicodar in one hand, and the other was outstretched.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Ari. This is Luke, my patrol partner. We're both from Terrasia Platoon," I introduced, returning both his smile and his handshake.

"Hey, Kelvin!" Luke suddenly yelled, spotting the bright haired dragon knight in his usual corner of the room. He rushed over and left me alone at the door with Ken.

"So umm, why did you volunteer?" I started, trying to strike up a conversation.

Ken looked away for a moment and began his tale.

"Before The Salvation arrived, I lived in Ellinia with my siblings. I had a wonderful girlfriend, and her name was Isabel. Everything was perfect. Until the day she left for Ossyria to make her 3rd Job Advancement. I didn't go with her because I had to look after my family. Her best friend, Valerie, went with her though. I thought she was in safe hands, but obviously I was wrong. After a week of her stay in Ossyria, I lost touch with her. I was wondering what happened and even planned to go look for her, but the day before my scheduled flight, The Salvation began their invasion. When they attacked my village, I wasn't home. But when I did get back, all I saw was destruction. All the houses were either on fire or burnt to the ground; no one was left."

"Oh."

Ken's free hand was clenched into a fist at this point, and his eyes displayed mixed emotions of hatred and sadness. I decided not to probe further into his past, lest I evoke some terrible memory and incur his wrath. No one wishes to remember their worst moments or experiences, yet here I was, taking a risk to uncover my memories. Had I ever stopped to wonder, whether they might be terrifying or otherwise?

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Hey, Sen's starting the briefing," Ken changed the subject by pointed at Sen, who seemed to just appear in the room out of thin air. He was gesturing for everyone to take their seats around the table.

"Glad to see that you all are making friends," he commented, barely glancing at us. "Anyway, I've finalized the list for the teams already. Team A consists of Ricky, Xavier, Tricia and Ken, while Ari, Luke and Kelvin are in Team B."

Ken looked at Sen wistfully.

"No, I will not be changing your teams. No exceptions."

I could hear a faint 'darn it' coming from Ken.

"Don't complain. You will be working together from now on. Now, on to more pressing issues," he continued, pressing a button on his PDA. The projector immediately displayed a map of Victoria.

"Our sources indicate that The Salvation has begun their movements towards Sleepywood. The platoons will handle their forces, but your job is much riskier. We shall take this opportunity to sneak past Salvation boundaries and into Perion and Ellinia. The seven of you will travel together until you reach the fork which divides the two towns. Team A will head to Perion, while Team B, Ellinia. Your job is to uncover any information about The Salvation's future plans or whatever relevant information. Transmit the data back to HQ with your PDAs as soon as possible. Any questions? "

"Umm, I have one," said a rather timid voice from the opposite side of the table. "When do we leave?"

I turned my head and saw a girl about my age, clutching her Angel Wings tightly.

"Ah, yes. You will leave at midnight, tonight. Remain here until that time, unless you have to gather up any personal belongings. Anything else? No? Good. See you later." With that, Sen left the room as quickly as he had arrived, leaving us in total silence.

"Umm, hey. You're Ari?" asked a fresh voice. It belonged to one of the identical hermits sitting at both ends of the other girl. Both wielded scarabs and were decked in identical outfits, the only difference being the color of their equipment and hair-one was blue and the other, black.

"Yeah…" I responded, hesitantly, unsure of who to look at. Which hermit talked to me?

The blue-haired hermit began the introductions.

"My name is Xavier, and my bro here is Ricky. We were from the Deligate Platoon, but that isn't really important now."

"No need to introduce yourself, we already know everything," added Ricky.

"Yup, absolutely everything,"

"About everyone, with certain exceptions."

The word 'certain' was emphasized and I knew who they probably were referring to.

They know everything about almost everyone? Whoa, creepy much.

"Okay. But I don't know anything about you. Care to enlighten me?"

"Our story isn't important; we're just here because we have to be," Ricky answered, looking away.

"Okay…" I diverted my attention away from them and to the magician in the middle. "Hey, you're Tricia right?"

"Huh? Yeah…" she answered, a little too quickly. Her hands tightened further around the handle of her wand, with an apparent expression plastered on her face that displayed the fact that she'd rather sink into a hole in the floor than talk to me.

"Ah, talking to Tricia? She doesn't talk much, we know," Xavier cut in.

"She's from the same platoon as us, same rank too. She's here be-"

"Shut up Ricky. It's rude to divulge peoples' secrets like that. You two always think you're all that, just because you know everything!" Tricia butted in and flared, before storming off.

"Umm, she's not really like that all the time. Don't mind her." Xavier said, apologetically, while giving his twin the evil eye.

"She's just like that sometimes, not all the time. Relax," Ricky retorted back at his twin, glaring.

I left the two of them arguing and looked around the room once again.

Luke. My trusted partner and best friend.

Kelvin. the mysterious yet familiar guy who seemed to have some connection with my dreams.

Ken. The warm and friendly one on the outside, with a cold, dark past on the inside.

Tricia. The hot-tempered girl with an equally unknown past and an apparent attitude problem.

Xavier and Ricky. The twins with knowledge about practically everyone, and a typical childish sibling rivalry.

This would be my team from now on, and I would have to work with them if I ever wanted to find out anything about my past; about the nightmares; about my missing memories.

* * *

-Midnight-

"Everyone packed?" Sen asked, routinely, in our final briefing before our mission would officially begin.

I looked uncertainly at Luke, who gave me a small but comforting smile. On my other side stood Kelvin. Sensing my insecurity, he reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. The moment he touched me, a current of electricity ran up my arm. It wasn't pain at all; but oddly, soothing.

"Alright, I have nothing more to say to you, except good luck," Sen concluded, pressing a button on his PDA and revealing another sliding door, this time, leading outside into the cool, dark night. He gestured for us to exit and as I walked out, I looked back and could've sworn that I saw Sen smile for the very first time.

* * *

-Sleepywood-

"Yami, dozing off already? It's barely midnight," Dysis derailed the chief bandit's train of thought.

"Shut up Dysis. I was just thinking," he retorted, still lying on the grass, eyes focused on the bright, full moon.

The priest sat down beside him and gazed up at the starry sky.

"Starting to regret? You should've known very well what you were getting yourself into when you joined the ranks of the Salvation."

"No way. I knew perfectly well. But still, I can't help but wonder…" the usually over-confident and cocky chief bandit hesitated.

"Wonder what?" Dysis probed.

"Wonder if things could have turned out differently after all." He continued, in an unusually gentle voice, and then smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. "But I don't regret my decision. After all, I wouldn't have met you if I didn't choose this path."

Their eyes locked before Yami broke off.

"Let's start the invasion. Tonight."

"Tonight? But we're already ahead of schedule!"

"Hey, it's my choice, like it or not," he responded, the normal unfeeling voice returning.

As he casted haste and ran off, a thought ran through his mind.

_But did things really change for the better because I made this choice?_

He dismissed it as quickly as it had entered his head.

* * *

Ohhh, Dysis and Yami? :D

I don't think it's going to be as short as originally planned, but, oh well, who cares.


	6. Invasion

Yes, I know. A lot of people have said my review count is freaking high. .

Thank you everyone for reviewing! -hands out cookies-

I never asked for so many reviews. It makes me feel rather honoured, but it's kinda stressful though.

As usual, review please, and help me increase the wonderful review count. (:

Ah yes, go do the poll on my page (if you haven't already done so), because it MIGHT determine the ending for Memories of the Forgotten.

Enjoy!

* * *

_About an hour after the Repentance's departure…_

Henesys was quiet; the stars in the cloudless night sky twinkled merrily as the crickets sang their songs, completely unaware of the danger that was approaching.

--

_Meanwhile…_

Bright, neon lights adorned the city of Kerning, outshining the crescent moon hanging high in the sky. The citizens went around their normal activities, not sensing the calamity that was about to befall.

--

"Charge!" a loud voice declared, and voices rang as countless numbers of soldiers charged past the creaky, rusty gates of the Henesys dungeon entrance and the forgotten Kerning sewage pipes simultaneously, catching both towns off guard.

The Restoration's forces were unprepared, but fought their hardest, all the same. As line after line of The Salvation's armies fell, another seemed to rise to take their place, attempting to penetrate the already crumbling defenses. The Restoration's soldiers were getting tired.

"Retreat!" a command was suddenly given, and the invading army disappeared into the darkness as quickly as they had arrived. Murmurs of confusion and skeptism passed through the defense like a wave.

--

_Henesys_

"Boo," a soft voice hissed into the ear of a crusader in the front line, as harsh, white lightning struck him and those in the area. With a flash of blue, a girl appeared, levitating in the air above the troops, a menacing smile plastered on her face.

Poison gas flooded the area and several rows collapsed onto the ground clutching their throats, slowly suffocating to death. Streams of green and blue struck random members of the unfortunate segment, and instead of the soothing effect that the holy magic had, the affected parties experienced burning pain and severe mana decrease.

Two more girls joined the first, each with their wands raised, magic circling the trio wildly. A soldier closed his eyes and muttered a final prayer, ready to embrace his fate.

--

_Kerning_

The troops in Kerning were equally bewildered at the turn of events. A direct attack on them by The Salvation, followed by their retreat? Unbelievable.

A sudden flash of a metal blade swerved through the crowd, leaving bodies dropping to the ground, limp, in its wake. A split second later, thousands of cold, hard arrows rained down mercilessly on the unsuspecting area, piercing flesh and sending cries of agony echoing around.

Two pairs of eyes, one green and one red, stared out from opposite ends of the army, their owners cloaked in darkness, weapons drawn, ready to begin their synchronised attack.

The Restoration soldiers in Kerning were considered luckier than those in Henesys; a quick and almost painless death stood between them and eternal peace.

* * *

_Time: about 2 in the morning  
Location: somewhere in the forests on the outskirts of Henesys_

"Hey guys, stop," Luke called out to the twins, who were clearing the way for us, making sure the route was safe and free from any trace of The Salvation. "I think we should set up camp for tonight. Our progress has been good."

"I second that," Ken added, failing to stifle a yawn.

We had been traveling non-stop for about 2 hours and had covered quite a far distance in such short time, credit given to the continuous casting of haste by the two experienced hermits.

The entire team agreed, unsurprisingly, and Tricia and I began pitching the tents using our magic.

I must have been really tired; the moment my head hit the inflatable pillow, I drifted off into slumber.

* * *

Again? I thought. The same peaceful field from the night before; my personal salvation from the unwanted nightmares.

"Yes, my child."

The same gentle voice.

"My senses tell me you wish to know more about Ken. He hasn't told you the full reason why he joined the Repentance, has he? Let me tell you about his past. Or rather, let me show you. There is a limit to how much you can see, however; my powers have weakened greatly over time. You will only be able to glimpse the more significant events in his past."

Before I could respond, my vision became a rainbow of colours; everything was spinning before I blacked out.

--

The next thing I knew, I was on a ship bound for Orbis at the busy Ellinian Harbour. I looked around me, and saw people of all jobs standing at the ship's railings, waving frantically and shouting last minute messages to their loved ones below.

Just then, a bandit walked right through me. I cringed.

Oh God, that was creepy.

"Ken! I'll miss you!" shouted an exceptionally loud voice from my left.

I looked in that direction and saw a girl with purple hair tied up in pigtails; loud, red ribbons adorning her braids. Around her neck was a silver necklace that glittered in the bright afternoon sun. Next to her was a green-haired girl, who appeared to be extremely embarrassed to have people staring at her friend. "Isabel," she muttered. "Not so loud."

Walking up to them, I spotted Ken in the crowd below, his unique hairstyle standing out from the crowd. He was smiling widely and waving his wand with so much vigor that the people around him cleared an area to avoid being hit by the overly-dramatic mage.

"All aboard!" a loud voice yelled, and I cringed at the blast of the magical horn, signaling the beginning of the long flight to Orbis. Scenes flashed before my eyes, and the next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the icy floor of the Orbis Tower.

--

"This is awesome, Valerie!" a shrill voice exclaimed from the ledge below me. I jumped down, and spotted a familiar purple-haired girl. This time, she appeared to be much stronger than before, and was training with the enthusiasm of a newly appointed ice mage, testing out all her skills with much zeal.

Her emerald-haired companion rolled her eyes.

"Why am I here?" I wondered, puzzled. "Didn't that voice say she only would show me the most important scenes? What has this got to do with K-"

A loud explosion answered my query while sending debris flying everywhere. By instinct, I ducked, forgetting that I wasn't even there physically.

When the dust had settled, a huge chunk of rock had disappeared from the nearby wall; someone, or something, had blasted a hole in the Orbis Tower.

"What was that?" Valerie questioned, rhetorically, dusting herself as she and Isabel teleported back from their hiding spot.

"That, my dear, was me," a fresh voice answered as a dark shape stepped in through the hole.

A man wearing a swirling black coat stood in place, a Doombringer tied to his back, emitting an unearthly purple glow. His eyes were as cold as the ice around him; they pierced like icicles. His hair was coal black, as dark as the aura surrounding him. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Shall I dispose of them?" asked a monotone voice from behind him, belonging to younger man, hands clutching a raised Dark Nisrock, stringed and ready to fire.

"No, they could prove… useful…" the former smiled and commented, lifting a hand and sending a burst of dark energy spiraling towards the girls, enveloping them.

Amid the frantic shouting and screaming, my vision blurred again, teleporting me forward into yet another scene. I could've sworn that the man's cold, blue eyes bore into mine as I disappeared, as if he knew, somehow, that I was there.

--

The next thing I saw was grey clouds. I smelt burning wood and my eyes started tearing as smoke filled my nostrils.

What's going on? Where am I? I couldn't see anything clearly through the tears and the smoke.

I wish I could see what was going on, I thought. Suddenly, as though my wish had been granted, I felt a burst of speed and found myself hanging in the air, suspended above the area.

I can fly?

I looked down, and saw a fire raging in a poor Ellinian village, desperate villagers trying to escape from the disaster that just befell them.

What's the cause of the fire? I pondered, flying around. Suddenly, I spotted someone running along a narrow dirt path towards the village instead of away from it. I descended to have a closer look.

Ken?

Ken was dashing towards the nearest house at full speed, a determined expression etched on his face. He kicked down the already damaged door and headed in. I followed him, but nothing prepared me for what I was going to see.

Isabel was standing there, wand raised, laughing maniacally as she thunder bolted two children with a flick of her wand. She then turned her attention to Ken, who was rooted to the spot, an appalled look frozen on his face; eyes displaying a mixture of hatred, fear and shock.

Isabel's normal, warm eyes were replaced with two emotionless crystals as she approached Ken, white and blue magic sparkling around her. He shut his eyes, fists clenched; trying to hold back tears.

At that moment, she hesitated, lowering her weapon.

"Run… get away from me. Run, Ken. Run…" She whispered, pleadingly, her eyes displaying a brief hint of emotion before reverting to their original state.

He obeyed, turning around and sprinting off into the woody forest that surrounded his village, tears dripping down his cheeks uncontrollably.

--

"That's as far as I can take you for today. I need rest."

"I understand… I think. But what does this have to do with me?"

"This information will help you in the future, my child."

A burst of light cut me off.

* * *

By dawnbreak, the Circle had left, but not without accomplishing their goal, to whittle down the Restoration's forces to zilch.

Henesys was deep in mourning for the brave souls who had sacrificed themselves in the line of duty, as wagon after wagon of dead soldiers were transported out of town.

The situation in Kerning was no different. The Restoration could try to clear the scenes as fast as possible, but the images of their protectors being cruelly tortured and massacred were vividly etched in the citizens' minds, as final screams of agony and despair rang clear in their ears.

The damage had been done; utterly irreversible. Just as Shadow had planned.


	7. Detour

Okays, first up, sorry for traumatizing anyone with the 'scarily depicted scenes of Henesys and Kerning' in the previous chapter, but it's sort of like a tribute to those affected in the Sichuan Earthquake and the Myanmar cyclone.

Remember, they've had it a lot worse, so those scenes are nothing compared to their plight.

Seriously, I didn't think it was that bad, but apparently some people thought so... yeah...

Secondly, I wanted to finish this story last night, but I think I was too tired from working out at sea under the hot sun for the entire day (I worked overtime too, and didn't get paid for it! Where's the fairness in this world!). I fell asleep sitting in front of my computer last night and the only thing I remembered was my head spinning and my leg hurting (Wow, I sunburnt my leg, but not my face. That's a first). Today's work wasn't as tiring, so yeah, I finally got down to finishing it.

To all Singaporeans out there: If you happen to go to East Coast Beach sometime between Friday and Sunday at either 8-9am plus or in the evening between 5-7pm, head on down to the National Sailing Centre and look for the hyper girl stationed on the Mark 2 committe boat. That's me. Whee, I'm freaking hyper when I get paid 10 bucks and 8 CIP hours a day to sit out in a powerboat and record sail numbers the whole day. I get free lunch too. Not to mention a free tanning session.

And it's also not everyday that you get to be stuck in the same boat with one of the byte world champions and let him talk to you and give you advice on how to sail better, so yeah.

Review as usual; my ultimate goal is to try and hit a chapter/review ratio of 1:10, but being on par with 'Azura' and having 1:9 isn't such a bad idea. I'm not likely to succeed, but I can try. (:

* * *

Eye-piercing sunlight washed over me as I struggled to open my eyes, blinded temporarily by the sudden burst of light earlier on. I sat up slowly, using my hand to shield my eyes.

"You're up," I heard Tricia comment, her back turned to me as she packed up her own area inside the tent. "Breakfast is ready, courtesy of the twins." I could briefly make out the faint sound of a stomach grumbling, and had a feeling it wasn't mine.

"Mmm," I responded, half-asleep, while getting off the camp bed. I slowly made my way outside and squinted as my eyes adjusted to the bright, morning sunshine.

--

"Morning, Ari!" Luke smiled, as he saw me, making a place next to him on the log he was sitting on. Ken was seated on the ground nearby, and waved to me, his mouth full.

"Morning!" chorused the twins as they handed me a bowl of mushroom soup, that morning's breakfast.

--

After everyone had packed and cleared the area, we sat down to discuss our travel plan for the day.

"Okay, if we continue at the speed that we traveled at last night, there is a high possibility of reaching the split road at about noon today," Kelvin announced.

"But it saps a lot of mana!" Xavier complained, looking at his brother who gave a slight nod of agreement.

"That's why I carry so many mana elixirs with me. Here," I addressed his complaint by tossing them a few bottles that I fished out from my bag.

"You two did do a lot of flash jumping yesterday, so maybe today we can assign someone else to clear the way forward. You two can just focus on constantly hasting everyone," Luke added, thoughtfully.

"I second that. I'll do it," Ken volunteered, his warm smile etched on his face as usual. But after last night's vision, I couldn't help but wonder how genuine his smile really was.

"I don't mind helping," Tricia said, quietly, looking away.

"Whoa, the Ice Queen finally volunteered herself for something," Ricky joked, and was subsequently nudged in the ribs by his twin.

"So that's settled. We'll stop somewhere before the split road and have lunch, before splitting into our individual teams. People, let's move," the orange-haired Dragon Knight concluded while he stood up and turned around, Pinaka swaying on his back.

--

Luke and I were positioned at the back of the party, watching everyone's backs and making sure that we were not being followed, lest there be risk of an ambush by The Salvation.

Things were proceeding rather smoothly until about midday, when Tricia collapsed on the ground.

"Tricia!" Ricky called out as he rushed forward and knelt down beside her. He felt her pulse and murmured, "It's weak."

"Maybe it's because she didn't eat breakfast?" Xavier commented, trying to be helpful.

"Okay, now what?" Ken prodded, gesturing to the cleared area in front of us. "Keep going?"

"Wait," Luke said, abruptly, surveying the site. "I think we've been travelling in the wrong direction."

"How can it be?" the fire mage questioned, eyebrows raised.

"Look," Luke answered, as he pointed to several factors we hadn't noticed before. "Some trees are marked with the Restoration's insignia, and that can't possibly be visible at the split road to Ellinia and Perion. Secondly, my platoon used to guard this area, so I'd recognize it. We're headed in the direction of Kerning City and Lith Harbour. The trees should also be getting woodier and the trunks, thicker, if we were headed towards Ellinia."

The sparsely located trees and the unmistakable logo etched on the surrounding trunks supported his statement, much to everyone's disappointment.

"Crap, now what?" Ken asked, obviously pissed off.

"We head to Kerning, that's what. We've wasted too much time," Kelvin muttered under his breath. "Come on, let's go already. We don't want to spend more time than we already have, standing here and doing nothing, just because of some people who have absolutely no sense of direction."

"What, are you saying it's totally my fault?" retorted Ken, aggressively, wand raised. Kelvin whipped his Pinaka out in a split second and countered his movement.

"Relax guys," I started, stepping in between them. "We better head to Kerning first, then towards Perion and Ellinia. We can just take a break and restock there. It might help."

"Follow me," Luke spoke, after a prolonged period of silence, as he signaled for all of us to take up various positions.

"I can walk myself… Don't carry me…" Tricia uttered as she stirred briefly, eyelids half open. Xavier ignored her and lifted her up onto his back, before moving forward. Tricia made no sign of further protest, as if understanding the current situation we were in.

Luke and I were leading the way in the front, constantly looking back uncertainly to check on the agitated duo. In the center of the party, Ricky and Xavier were taking turns piggy-backing Tricia. They were co-operating for once; what a change. Kelvin and Ken brought up the rear, glaring daggers at each other whenever possible.

Gloom shrouded our segment like a dark mist as we travelled in complete silence towards Kerning City, towards civilization.

--

If the state in which we found Kerning in was classified as civilised, then the deserted wilderness would, in a sense, be a sanctuary.

The city was in chaos; a far cry from the last time I had been here. The usual messy orderliness of the town had somehow been transformed overnight into a frenzied madhouse.

We were bewildered. What happened here?

"Daniel!" I called out, spotting a familiar figure weaving in and out of the crowd. The ranger stopped in his tracks and looked around before spotting me. As he approached, I noticed that an odd smile replaced his normally cheerful face, and that his bright red eyes were now the colour of blood; the colour which seemed to stain every wall and ground of Kerning.

"Hey, long time no see, Ari. Why are you here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be on some top-secret epic journey to save the world?"

"Well, we kinda had to make some alterations to our plans," I answered, hesitantly, while looking behind. "What happened here while we were gone?"

"You didn't know? The defense segments of the Restoration were completely massacred last night," he began, then lowered his voice and continued, "By the Salvation."

"What? A direct attack?" Ken suddenly cut in, shock apparent in his tone. "That's impossible! There's no possible way that the troops could bypass our defenses!"

"So you're from a strategist segment, eh?" Daniel commented, coolly, studying Ken. "Well, the troops didn't get pass the defenses, but the Circle did. The opposition has become a taboo subject now, so do not mention it at all costs. If you'll excuse me, I really need to be going." Daniel gave me a small wave as he dashed away, disappearing within the mass of people in the marketplace.

I turned and faced the others, and saw the twins' faces downcast; their eyes were swirling pods of hate and concern, hearts torn between both. Tricia, who by now was standing firmly on the ground by herself, was facing the ground as shock consumed her.

"Your segment fought, right?" Luke asked, hardly audibly, his voice barely a whisper. And yet, those simple words seemed to have a huge impact on our team's morale.

Ricky turned around and looked at the bloodstained wall behind him and punched it ferociously with his claw in a fit of frustration. Xavier's fists were clenched tightly and his knuckles were white. I could've sworn that I saw tears building behind those blue eyes as he struggled to deal with reality. Tricia put her arm over his shoulder and tried to comfort him, but I sensed that she herself was having trouble coping with the tragic turn of events.

It was only at this point of time that the realization hit us. By taking up this responsibility to enter no-man's land and try and stop The Salvation head-on, we were, in a way, forsaking everything that we held dear; everyone that we had been with since our individual entrances to the forces of The Restoration. We wouldn't be fighting alongside our teammates till the end, but instead, be cut off from them, completely.

"No use procrastinating now," Luke started, bravely, trying to take charge. "We can't turn back the clock, no matter how much we regret anything. We have to live on, as living memories of those that have passed on for the sake of duty. If we accomplish our mission and bring peace back to the land, won't that be more than enough to repay them for everything? Isn't that what they were hoping for in the first place?"

Xavier looked up and smiled, faintly, showing his consent as Tricia lowered her arm and nodded her head at Luke, face apparent with pure gratefulness. Not wanting to be left out, the other hermit sighed in approval and let his hand slide down; a deep indent was left on the wall where his claw once pressed against.

We were good to go.

--

For the rest of the day, our team restocked supplies and ran errands around town with renewed spirit, having been given a better and stronger reason to continue forward.

"Whoa!" I cried out as a bottle of mana elixir slipped out of my arms, which were already laden with an unknown number of potion bottles.

Kelvin ran from behind me and caught it, just before it hit the ground, as I heaved a sigh of relief. The prices of supplies had skyrocketed since the massacre, so every thing we bought mattered, regardless of quantity.

"Hey, who was that ranger from earlier?" Kelvin asked, rather quickly, as he placed the bottle back onto my pile.

"Oh, just an old friend, Daniel."

"I thought you can't remember anything about your past?"

"I can't remember anything that happened before the time Sen found me, but after that, I can. Daniel was another kid who had been orphaned in the Salvation's attempt to conquer the whole island. We met at a refugee camp and sorta clicked with each other. He turned down the offer to join The Restoration, however. I never knew why, but maybe he just doesn't want to be involved in any battles. After I entered the ranks, we remained in contact and continued to meet up occasionally."

"Oh," he commented, looking away. "We should head back now."

"Uh, okay."

As I quickened my pace to keep up with him, a seed of doubt planted itself in my mind; I don't recall ever telling him about my missing memories, so how did he know?

--

"Sky, what took you so long to inspect the damage?" a voice demanded in the tense conference room, as a hand slammed on the table.

"I ran into some unsuspecting company, alright?" the ranger snarled in return and glared fiercely back at his questioner, sending a 'don't ask anymore questions or I'll bash you beyond recognition' signal. "Anyway, Kerning is in chaos right now, as expected. We left quite an impact there; the blood still hasn't been cleaned off."

"The situation in Henesys is no different," a bored voice added on, as its owner twirled her wand around in her hands, conjuring up random streaks of green magic. "The citizens are deeply affected, as far as I'm concerned. The Restoration has also taken a huge setback, and I doubt anyone will still want to join their ranks, seeing how fast their defensive forces fall to us."

A shadow in the far end of the room smirked, before concluding the meeting in a deep voice, "Alright, good job people. Things are going according to plan. Report back here at the same time, in two days. That's when the fun really starts…"

Evil laughter echoed through the room as the doors opened, as if on cue. One by one, the members left, the only sounds heard being the cackling of fire and the plodding of footsteps on the carpeted floor, save for the tinkling of a chain that dropped down, unknown to its owner, who was still preoccupied with her wand.

As a hopeful ray of light from the fire reflected onto the weathered chain, its insignia flashed the colours of the organization it belonged to, as well as a large letter R. Before the light disappeared, it beamed onto the fine line of words etched in cursive below the logo.

_Dysis, Fiare Platoon, Captain _


	8. Vision

I know, I know. I took quite a long time to do up this chapter, and I apologise. But I had my reasons.

1) I went for church camp/spiritual recharging. I played the part of S.A. Tan in my group's skit, and it was fun. :D

2) Although my storyline is roughly planned out already, I can't think of how to write it out properly. The previous chapter was actually unplanned, but the idea just came to me one day. It worked out well though, but now I'm having problems linking it to the next idea.

3) I had VJC interview and had to spend time preparing my stuff for it. Guess what? I made it in! Yay me! But now I'm not sure if I want to accept their offer. Anyone want to give me any guidance on this issue? Nah, don't think so. FYI, I actually submitted a copy of _Regrets _and _Memories of the Forgotten_ to the interviewers when I went for the interview, and that might have actually helped me clinch the spot.

4) Basketball team selections were on Saturday. I needed to devote a lot of time to friendly matches and training, hence less writing time and energy. But I got in anyway, so that's a relief.

5) Yes, I know my pen name is CrapPishh, but it doesn't mean I'm willing to rush my work and upload a piece of crap that will most likely piss my faithful readers/reviewers off.

6) I got shortlisted for the NJC interview, although I think I messed up my Maths entrance paper. Great, more preparation needed. But then, I'm already accepted to VJC, so why bother?

7) Both my basketball teacher and coach think I'm not performing on court (their definition of me performing means for me to score 85 percent of the points for each game) because I'm distracted by guys. That is the stupidest reason I have ever heard in my entire life, seeing that my best friends are, and have always been, guys. But, I have to admit, their speculations are 15 percent true.

I know I sort of inspired some people to write, and I don't know if they count that as a good thing.

**This chapter is dedicated to Absol Master, who dedicated **_**Memories in the Snow**_** to me. Because you're such a great writer and faithful reader/reviewer (and I don't know why you love this story even though I think it's not very good), I feel that I should do likewise. (:**

Enjoy people, and review as usual. The review count for the last chapter was rather bad actually, but I'm in no position to complain.

--

**Oh yes. Thank you so much DarnedNoob for giving me ideas for this chapter and entertaining me when I'm bored. :DDDD This chapter is also dedicated to him.**

--

And by the way, I've got a quiz about this story, up to events in chapter 7. Do try it out if you have the time, if you haven't already done so. The link is on my profile page, under 'recent updates, 20/06/08'. PM me if you want to know anything about it, like why you got a question wrong. (:  
I'll post the results along with the next chapter, as well as answers, if need be.

(A little hint: Take note of the minor details in the story.)

"Well, well. What do we have here?" a dark shadow knelt down and picked up what its owner had carelessly dropped while making her exit a few hours ago.

Upon a minute or two of inspection, the same menacing voice started, its normal emotionless tone was replaced by one with a faint hint of amusement.

"An informant, I see? This could prove to be interesting…"

Cruel laughter sounded through the room just as the flames died, shrouding the room in total darkness.

--

It's getting late, guys," I voiced out, trying my best to stifle a yawn as the crescent moon reflected light down onto us.

We had been travelling non-stop for the entire day, no doubt trying our best to make up for lost time. I could sense a new drive in everyone; a strange type of fire was burning in their eyes. The mist that surrounded our party the day before had disappeared, and had been replaced with an aura of extreme determination.

"But we have to keep going," Ken argued, signaling for us to continue forward.

"Ari's right," Luke rushed to my defense and countered his statement. "We can continue at this speed, or maybe even move faster, if we get some rest tonight. We've got time. Relax."

"He might be right you know…" Xavier added, thoughtfully, looking at his twin, who looked like he could drop dead from exhaustion at any second.

"Yeah, take a break, Ken," Tricia said, twirling her wand and summoning the camping materials from her bag. "Come on, Ari. Help me set up the tents."

--

I breathed in the aroma of fresh spring flowers as I sensed myself resting on the familiar green pasture. A breeze of warm air brushed my face as the gentle voice spoke to me again.

"Welcome back, Ari."

"Thank you, I guess."

"Prepare yourself. You're going to delve into someone else's memories today."

"Well, I don't think we've finished with Ken's yet, so-"

"Alas, my dear child, my powers can only show you that much. But keep these visions in mind, for they will aid you along the way."

I heaved a reluctant sigh and relaxed as the scene changed.

--

As I materialized, I found myself standing in the middle of the Ellinian Woods; the faint outline of a rugged path could be barely made out on the ground.

Footsteps sounded from behind me as I familiarized myself with the surroundings. I turned, and saw a pair of sisters headed towards me. By instinct, I stepped out of their way, forgetting that I was simply an illusion, and didn't really exist there.

Wait a minute, I thought. That girl looks like Tricia… Hard to imagine her laughing and smiling like that, with the cold, unfriendly mask she puts on now. Is that her little sister? They look so similiar…

"Sis, you think dad's back yet?" the little girl no older than the age of seven asked Tricia as they walked hand in hand along the narrow dirt path.

"He should be, I guess. His ship ride was scheduled for early this afternoon," she smiled and answered, eyes twinkling.

"Yay! I haven't seen dad for ages! Come on, walk faster!" the little one picked up her pace and broke free from her sister's grasp.

"Tasha, wait!" Tricia yelled and tried to catch up with her.

--

"Don't run off like that ever again, you hear me?" she spoke, between pants, when she finally caught up to her. "I'm surprised you even stopped running actually."

Tasha did not respond.

"Tasha?"

"Sis, look," she finally replied, slowly holding up a trembling hand and pointing at what lay in front of her.

Tricia looked up and a split second later, all colour drained from her face.

Their village was in ruin; the village that their ancestors had worked tirelessly to build up had been destroyed in mere hours. The buildings had collapsed and everything was charred black, like an explosion had just taken place.

I could sense that Tricia had just taken a huge mental setback; her aura radiated all sorts of emotions at once: horror, grief, fear, concern.

Looking around, I surveyed the site of the damage. There were torn pieces of Meso notes lying on the ground, save for the occasional few that were fluttering about peacefully in the wind.

Mesos… An explosion… Meso Explosion? It couldn't be…

"Tricia, Tasha, get out of here, now!" I screamed, trying my best to attract their attention. But deep down, I knew that no matter what I did, it would be of no use; I wouldn't be able to change their pasts, no matter how much I wanted to. I was just so frustrated, having to standing there and watch helplessly as the sisters faced the impending danger that they were oblivious to.

"Hmm, what are you two doing here?" a voice hissed as a dark shape emerged from within the wreckage. "I thought I disposed of everyone here. Killing another two wouldn't hurt though."

As the figure approached the sisters, I saw them huddled closely together, numb with fear.

With every step the stranger took, my breathing increased and pulse raced.

No, no, stay away from them! They're innocent! I screamed, aware of what was soon to happen. When he finally stopped and saw their frightened expressions, he merely smirked and raised his weapon, a Dragon Tail stained with the blood of countless others who had met the same fate before them.

"A pity you have to die at such a young age."

The duo stood there, paralysed, embracing each other, ready to meet their fate, together.

The dagger descended; its teeth glinting menacingly under the evening sun as I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing myself for the familiar sounds of blade meeting flesh and the smell of fresh blood. There was no way I would just stand by and look on as that chief bandit murdered them; I would rather not watch at all.

Suddenly, I heard the blade come in contact with something hard, something… metallic.

"I don't think so," said a fresh voice as the weapons slid against each other, producing a horrible screeching noise.

I opened my eyes slowly and blinked to make sure I wasn't imagining things in my desire to protect the sisters.

There, fully clad in a Red China outfit and donning a matching Sonata, stood a guy about Tricia's age, Shinkita in hand. He stood, ready, a determined expression on his face. No matter how confident he appeared to be on the outside, I knew, inwardly, that he was actually utterly terrified of being face to face with a mass murderer.

"Aw, I'm so touched. Trying to protect these two innocent girls with your life?" The chief bandit smirked as he adjusted his pireta hat calmly, eyes lingering on the newcomer who by now was sweating profusely. "Then die in their place!"

"Tricia, Tasha, run!" the bandit yelled as he raised his blade to defend himself against his opponent's attack, standing between him and the girls. "I'll hold him off, so escape while you can!"

"We can't just leave you, Samuel!" Tasha responded, snapping out of her daze.

"He's right, Tasha. We have to leave," Tricia whispered, eyes on the floor. Grabbing her sister's hand, she turned away from the village and picked up pace. As she left, she looked back and mouthed a 'thank you' to Samuel, who was locked in combat with the chief bandit.

She pulled Tasha along and fled, tears streaming down as she ran.

A wave of sadness overwhelmed me; I could really feel what she was going through. Samuel seemed to play a rather important part in her life, or she wouldn't be that upset. Could it be that she liked him?

My surroundings blurred, giving me little time to ponder over that thought before I was transported to the next scene.

--

The next thing I knew, I was in the town of Henesys. It was all so peaceful; a far cry from the present state that Victoria Island was in.

"Sis!" a familiar voice shouted, as a figure raced towards me.

An older Tasha ran through me and dashed into the house behind, continuing to shout at the top of her voice.

I followed her in, curious to know what was going on.

"What is it, Tash?" Tricia sighed, sitting on her bed and flipping through a book, undisturbed by her sister's intrusion.

'Some weird man gave this to me earlier. He said it was important," she answered, holding out a white envelope.

Tricia raised an eyebrow before receiving and opening it.

She kept silent, even after her eyes scanned through the letter a few times. It was as if she were considering something.

A minute later, she spoke.

"Come on, we're going out."

--

"Where are we going?" Tasha whined as Tricia dragged her along.

"You'll see when we get there," Tricia said firmly, making a right turn at the Henesys Park.

Wait a second, I thought. She's headed towards the Restoration Headquarters...

--

The Headquarters looked very different; there were grand wooden doors in place of its sliding glass doors and the building looked considerably smaller.

There were also no member access points, which meant that anyone could just enter the building by pushing the door open. It was exactly what Tricia did, just that she used a lot more force than I imagined.

She practically stormed into the building and up a flight of stairs, as if she knew precisely where she was headed; like she knew the building layout itself. Tasha trailed behind, desperately trying to keep up.

At last she stopped, in front of an oak door, a door which hadn't changed much save for the aging of its frame, even after the building had been revamped. Sighing, Tricia turned the handle and entered.

"Okay, Sen," she commanded, changing her tone. "What's with this?"

Tricia waved the letter fiercely in the air as she glared at the man seated at his desk, waiting for answers.

"Ah, you did get the message after all," he said, looking up.

"Is it true?" she demanded, gesturing to the white paper in her hand. "You know where he is?"

Sen sighed as he stood up.

"We've just received word that the army has invaded the villages along the Perion-Ellinian border. A couple of witnesses described their attacker; he matched your description."

Silence ensued, only to be broken by Tasha.

"Umm, excuse me?" she spoke, uneasily. "What's going on now? Who's 'he'? What army invaded where?"

Sen turned towards her with a warm smile on his face.

Whoa, I thought, amused. He never smiles now. I guess people really change over time.

"Hmm, you are rather young, but it wouldn't hurt to have you start early, would it, Tricia?"

"No way, you must be joking…" Tricia laughed, before realizing that Sen was serious. "Wait, honestly, you think she's ready?"

"Why not?" he chuckled, ruffling Tasha's hair before turning his attention to her. "Little girl, do you really want to know what's going on, even if this knowledge will put you in grave danger?"

"Sure, I guess," Tasha answered, curiously.

"You understand that there are risks involved, you know…" Tricia added, rolling her eyes.

"Sis knows everything, right?" Tasha asked Sen abruptly, looking him straight in the eye.

"Yes, and if you agree to joining the Restoration, you will, too," he responded, eyeing Tricia for any sign of consent.

She merely shrugged and tilted her head towards Tasha.

"So, do you wish to join us?"

"Uhh, okay."

With her last statement, my vision blurred again, and I was teleported further forward in time.

--

"Sen? You called for us?" a voice asked, as I heard the sound of a door opening, its metal hinges creaking as if pleading for someone to oil them.

I found myself standing in the same room, with only adjustments to the furniture and the aging of its occupant.

How many years have passed already? Sen looks so much closer to what he looks like now as compared to the past…

Two figures walked into the room, an air of familiarity surrounded them.

Tricia and Tasha? But they look so much older than before…

"Ah yes, I did." Sen answered, handing them a dirty yellow file. "Take your time and look through this first."

I saw their eyes widen simultaneously as they glanced through the file. They flipped page after page, looking at each other on more than one occasion.

What's going on? I pondered, curiously.

"Recognise him?" Sen murmured, flipping through another folder. "Some of our scouts managed to take those pictures while on field duty. Apparently, he's of a rather high rank in the army."

"So?" Tricia responded, her eyes not leaving the folder. "What has this got to do with us?"

"Well," he sighed, moving uncomfortably. "Since you two both recognize him, I'm thinking of sending one of you to infiltrate the Salvation, and maybe get closer to him and learn all their movements and plans."

"Something tells me you already decided who's going," Tasha replied, uncertainly. "It's me, isn't it? That's why I got rejected for all the other missions I've applied for recently."

Sen sighed again as he looked at her.

The last thing I saw was Tricia's shocked expression as light engulfed me.

--

I reappeared in the meadow as the voice spoke out.

"Wasn't that enlightening?"

"Somehow, it feels as if this vision isn't over."

"You're right, my child. But we'll save it for another night; dawn approaches."


End file.
